Broadcast Journalism 10/21/2010

Television reaches a mass audience.

How is TV different from print?

 Moving Images
 Sound.
 TV is a passive activity.
 Traditional TV was programmed so that TV controlled your viewing
habits (whereas, you can grab a print publication anytime).

Important dates in TV history:

 Philo Farnsworth transmits moving images in 1927, thus inventing
TV.
 RCA shows off their TV at the 1939 World’s Fair
 The first use of cable television arrives in 1949
 Satellite programming begins in 1975
 The Fox Network started n 1986

By 1950’s, television was ubiquitous.

How did we get to where we are now?

 Stations that transmit over airwaves are regulated by the FCC.
 Cable systems use, well, cables.
 CATV – community antenna television, small town operations that
tapped into major market stations through antennae and cables.
This is the root of the modern cable system.
 Satellites began replacing antennae in the mid-1970’s and let to the
invention of subscriber-based television.

Until the arrival of FOX in 1986, the big three networks nearly had a
monopoly.
 ABC, CBS, and NBC
 …Then can cable.
 And the demassification continued.

The downfall of Katie Couric.

 …Demassification.
o We have SO many options now.

Now?
 You have local stations.
 You have network services that provide service to the local stations.
 You have local cable systems.
 You have national cable networks that service local cable systems.
 And Comcast is taking over the country.

The two-tier system:

 The are NETWORKS that generate content.
 There are LOCAL STATIONS and LOCAL CABLE SYSTEMS that
distribute the content.
 (so you have generators and distributors).

LOCAL NEWS:
 Focuses on a geographic region.
 Covers a wide spectrum of events – sports, news, weather, etc.
NETWORK NEWS:
 Serves a national audience.
 Focuses on big stories and trends.
CABLE NETWORK NEWS: 24/7 coverage of world events.

TV Lingo:
 VHF – Very high frequency (channels 2 – 13)
 UHF – Ultra-high frequency (14 -83)
 Affiliate – A local station with network connections.
 O & O – owned and operated station (a local station that is owned
by the network).
 VOD – Video on demand.

The ramifications of VOD:

 Watch TV anywhere.
 Watch TV any time.
 You don’t have to watch what is on, your options are almost
endless.
 With VOD, you won’t have to watch commercials ever again.
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